Cotton-baling process



OCtL 29, 1929.

J. A. TAFT ,733,434

COTTON BALING PROGES S Filed June 24, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet l W y 5 z A7709/1/15 VS Oct. 29, 1929. A, TAFT 1,733,434

COTTON BALING PROCESS Filed June 24, 192] 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 29,1929. J. A. TAFT COTTON BALING PROCESS Filed June 24, 1921 4Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTOF VVS.

Oct. 29, 1929. TAFT 1,733,434

COTTON BALING PROCES 5 Filed June 24, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTOF/VKKS.

Patented Oct. 29, 1929 JOHN ALBERT TAFT, F CINCINNATI,

PATENT OFFICE OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO P. M. CLARK, OF

CINCINNATI, OHIO COTTON-BALING PROCESS Application filed June 24,

My invention relates to the baling of cotton in cylindrical form, andmore specifically to improvements in processes of forming thecylindrical bales from webs of raw cotton as they come from a condenser.

While the forming of a proper web or bat of the cotton after it leavesthe gin and is condensed is important in connection with the formationof a cylindrical bale, my invention herein is not addressed to this batformation, but to the coiling and compressing of the web into acylindrical shape.

There have been methods and devices in the past for performing theoperation with which my invention is concerned, the principal one beingthe use of a movable core over which the bat from the condenser isWrapped, after which the bat and core are revolved by means ofcylindrical rolls against which the core is impelled by suitablyregulated pressure.

To get a fully compressed cylindrical bale, it is necessary to tightlywind the bat into the cylinder as well as to compress it during thewinding operation. It is also necessary to keep the bale as trulycylindrical as possible during the winding operation.

l/Vhere to my knowledge baling machines having more than one roll havebeen used, the practice has been to have two of the rolls mounted onstationary journaled axes,

.and one or more rolls mounted on movably journaled axes. The result ofthis arrangement is that as the bale increases its diameter, the movableroll or rolls may become more and more widely separated from the fixedrolls.

In such machines, the journaled axes cannot maintain a constantly equalspacing about the bale, which causes the bale to be rolled in ellipticform. Thus the rolls which move, move in straight lines, and at no timeduring the operation is the pressure against the cylinder of cottonbetween the rolls subjected to a balanced pressure exerted radially ofthe same.

The result of the elliptical formation is that the fibres of the cottonwork on each other forming a glaze, and often the heat.

generated from the working: to and fro of 1921. Serial No. 480,180.

the fibres will scorch the material, so as to ruin it for use.Furthermore, 1t 1s a very frequent occurrence for the entire bale toslip out from between the rolls as soon as the spacing between themovable and fixed U rolls becomes dis-proportionately greater than thespacing between the two fixed rolls themselves.

It is the object of my invention to provide a winding or rolling processwhich insures the application of a constant radial pressure on thegrowing cylinder of cotton, and in which the pressure along the variousradial lines is always equal. It is also my object to provide a processin which the winding action will be such as to draw the web or battightly around the inserted or selfformed core, thereby saving greatlyin the necessary pressure to compress the cotton down.

I have not noted particularly the advantages of the cylindrical bale ofcotton, since it is well known that in the cylindrical bale, withoutre-compression, a compact, easily handled package of cotton may beobtained,

which saves at every point from baling through handling and shipping tothe hands of the consumer. This is evident from the fact that the oldcustomary bales of cotton have a density of around twenty-two pounds tothe cubic foot, while the cylindrical bales properly formed have abouttwice that den sity.

I accomplish my objects by that certain process and mode of operation tobe hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, which illustrate a mechanism suitable for following myprocess,

Figure 1 is a partially diagrammatic elevation illustrating the balingoperation.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the connect-ions of the rolls, andthe pressure and equalizing features.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a form of gearing for driving all rollsin all positions.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the machine.

I will first describe the drawings as the t Way of illustrating theprocess, it

posts 2 and slotted where they straddle the shafts 3 and a are the upperand lower cross heads 5 and 6. The upper cross heads have rack arms 7hinged thereto for a purpose to be described, and the lower cross headshave positioned below them and exerting hydraulic pressure against them,the pistons 8.

There are a pair of arms 9 on each end of the upper shaft 3 and a pairof arms 10. on each end of the lower shaft 4, said arms carrying a pairof shafts 11 in the upper cross head and a pair of shafts 12 in thelower cross head. i

The shafts extend across the machine and are equipped at their ends withgears 13 and 14', and theshafts 3 and 4 have gears 15 and 16, which meshwith the gears 13 and 14: in all positions of the mounting arms.

The cross heads have horizontally extending pockets 17 therein, in whichslide boxes 18, said boxes serving to journal the shafts 11 and 12.These shafts carry the forming rolls 24 and 24C above and 25 and 25below the center ofthe machine.

The lower cross heads have racks 19 cut or mounted on their outer ends,and these racks mesh with gears 20, 20, carried at each end of a pair ofshafts 21, one shaft at each end of the machine.

The frame is channeled out to receive from each end of the two uppercross heads, the rack arms '2', and rollers 22 set at one side of thechannels serve to keep these arms in mesh also with'the gears 20.

The mechanism now described operates as follows V V The hat of cotton asat 28 is brought into the space between the four rolls 24 and 24 and 25and 25, all of which are driven in the same direction by the gearingabove described. This action causes the cotton bat to form a cylinderbetween the four rolls.

Due to the fact that the rollers are of slightly different diameters,the peripheral speed is different for each. In the preferred form theroll 2.4 is smallest and the diameter increases in the rolls 24, 25 and25 respectively, so that the roll 24, located just above the incomingbat of cotton, will move the slowest and each succeeding roll will bedriven at a higher peripheral speed than the one that precedes it in itscontact with the bat.

This operates to give a pull to the incoming bat which tightly wraps itover the previously formed core and leaves a free loop as at 26 betweenthe fourth and first rolls, which loop will be taken up about everythird revolution of the first roll, and as a fold will pass into thecylinder.

As the cylinder increases in size, the rolls will-be forced away fromthe center, and in doing so, will have two enforced paths of motion. Onepath is to slide in the horizontal pockets in the two cross heads, andthe other will'beto force the cross heads to move, said two movementsbeing simultaneous, since the lateral movement will not be possiblewithout the vertical movement. The vertical movement or. cross headmovement is controlled by the two hydraulic pistons, which bea r againstthe lower cross, heads,

The cross heads cannot move, however, except t.ogether, since wheneither.- cross head moves the gears .20 will revolve, and said gearswill then feed the other cross head in such a way as togive it the exactmovement of the lower cross head. Furthermore, the two sides of themachine are balanced, since the gears 20 are fastened on the shaft 21,which extends cross-the machine. 7

The rolls are so mounted on the radialv arms from the drive shafts thatthe lines connecting the axes of the rolls will always be a rectanglewhose center is the axis of the cylinderof cotton to be rolled V i Theuse of four rolls for rolling a cylinder of cotton thus according toily/process is safeguarded by providing for the equalization of movementand pressure on all four rolls and maintaining them always radial andequidistant from the axis of the cylinder that is being formed betweenthem. Itis particu larly important that the points of contact on thecotton be substantially equidistant about the circumference of the balewhile forming it, irrespective of its diameter within the capacity ofthe machine. This is, of course, subject to slight differences indiameter of the rolls. I

The rolls also operate on a constantly increasing speed ratio, whichacts to wrap the bat tightly into a cylinder by the frictional pull (inone direction) of the bat as the air is pressed from it upon theentrance into the rolling mechanism. This saves the use of greatpressure onthe cotton, and tends to insure an even rolling of the batinto a true cylinder. The extra fold, which accumu lates, works into thetrue cylinder immediately, since the incoming bat passes over it at themoment it enters the cylinder and is molded over it to leave a truecylindrical surface.

The act of winding a bat into a cylinder, between rolls withoutpermitting it to get outof cylindrical shape whenused with the tightdrawing effect of the frictional pull of the varied diameter rolls,taken together, is what I consider the most important developmentcontributed to the art by me. It is possible to get fairly goodcylindrical bales of cotton til by any one of the multitude of machinesdesigned for this purpose, but the mere insurance of equally spacedrolls, or the mere arrangement for tight drawing through various speedrollers, taken by itself, will not give the best results. IV here thefrictional tight drawing is present and an elliptical effect ispermitted to be present, all the advantage of the tightness is lost.here the equal spaced rolls are present no tight drawing, then cottonwill not form into even thickness laps.

- lVhere both things are adhered to, the effect is to produce a bale ofeven density in which the fibers are drawn lengthwise somewhat like to awoven belt. This should be qualified by the additional feature of thecompression exerted by the first roll on the bat prior to the tension orpull being exerted.

Also while there may have been structures in the past for insuring aneven spacing of winding rolls in a cylindrical baling press, thepressure applied to the rolls is almost always indirect, the mechanismwhich interconnects the rolls being called upon to take care of all theroll pressure as well. lhis is not true in my case, wherein the pressureis applied direct to the cross heads, and the rack and pinion are notcalled upon to do more than insure an equality of motion.

While I have described my process mainly in terms of one selectedmechanism for the performance thereof, it will be understood that theconstantly equidistant spacing, uniform pressure, plural roll expandingprinciple is the basis of my invention herein, together with theincreasing speed ratio of the peripheries of the rollers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A process for rolling cylindrical bales of cotton which consists inimparting rotation to the core of such bale at a plurality of pointssubstantially equally interspaced with relation to each other and theaxis of the cylindrical roll formed between such points, maintaining auniform constant pressure at each point against the roll as it increasesin size, and maintaining a substantially equal radial spacing of saidpoints of pressure as the size of the bale increases.

2. A process for rolling cylindrical bales of cotton which consists inimparting rotation to the core of such bale at four points substantiallyequally interspaced with relation to each other and the axis of thecylindrical roll formed between such points, maintaining a uniformconstant pressure at each point against the roll as it increases insize, maintaining a substantially equal radial spacing of said points ofpressure as the size of the bale increases, and successively increasingthe speed of rotation at said points to effect a frictional draft upon.the bat from which the roll is formed.

3. In a cotton baling apparatus for producing cylindrical bales, aplurality of rollers substantially equally interspaced with relation toeach other and to the axis of the cylindrical roll formed between them,means for maintaining a uniform constant pressure against the roll as itincreases in diameter, and means for maintaining a substantially equalradial spacing of said rollers during such increase of the bale indiameter.

4:. In a cotton baling apparatus for producing cylindrical bales,opposite movable heads, means for producing a joint uniform movement ofsaid heads relative to each other, driven pressure rolls mounted in saidheads for movement toward and from each other, and means for effecting auniform spacing of said rolls in the relative movement of the rolls ineach head to those of the opposing head.

5. In a cotton baling apparatus for producing cylindrical bales,opposite movable heads, means for producing a joint uniform movement ofsaid heads relative to each other, driven pressure rolls mounted in saidheads for movement toward and from each other, link members connectingthe axis of the rolls in each head *ith a fixed pivot, and pressuremeans applied to one of said heads.

(3. In a cotton baling apparatus, a support, opposite heads mountedthereon for movement toward and from each other, means connecting saidheads to efiect a simultaneous movement thereof, a pair of pressurerollers mounted in longitudinal slots in each head, and means connectingthe rollers of each head to effect an equal movement thereof relative tothe rollers in the opposite head.

7. In a cotton baling apparatus, a supporting frame, opposite headsmounted thereon for movement toward and from each other, meansconnecting said heads to effect a simultaneous movement thereof, a pairof pres sure rollers mounted in longitudinal slots in each head, fixedpivots upon the supporting frame, and links extending from said pivotsto the rollers in each head.

8. In a cotton baling apparatus, vertical standards, opposite headsslidingly mounted thereon, rack bars carried by said heads and having anintermeshing gear, means for transmitting motion to one of said headsand to the other of said heads through said rack bars and gear, pressurerollers slidingly mounted for movement in said heads, and

links extending from the axis of said rollers to a fixed pivot supportedby the standard.

JOHN ALBERT TAFT.

